What Architectural Resources does

Architectural Resources (trading as A|r) is a privately held, full-service architecture and planning firm founded in 1991 by Kevin D. Murrett and headquartered in Buffalo, NY, with a regional office in New York City. The firm employs 70+ professionals (per firm profile) and delivers projects across behavioral health, healthcare, higher education, civic, commercial, residential, planning, interior design, sustainability, and vertical transportation disciplines. Its institutional client base is anchored in New York State government agencies (notably the Office of Mental Health), the SUNY system, and cultural/civic entities such as the NYS Olympic Regional Development Authority and the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center.

The firm's core technology stack is built around Building Information Modeling (BIM), integrated into the full project lifecycle. In-house Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) capabilities include clash coordination, laser scanning, 360° photogrammetry, VR simulations, and Digital Twin/4D documentation for facility management. The firm positions itself as one of the first in the U.S. to integrate state-of-the-art BIM into practice and is staffed with Autodesk Certified Professionals. Vertical differentiation is concentrated in behavioral health facility design—where the firm claims recognition as one of the nation's foremost experts in planning and design of treatment facilities for supportive needs populations—and in vertical transportation engineering with over 40 years of specialized elevator and escalator expertise.

Architectural Resources operates a project-based professional services revenue model, earning design fees, project management fees, and construction administration services from custom engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by project scope, complexity, and scale. Work is secured through competitive bidding, client referrals, and industry reputation, with go-to-market focused on major capital projects across behavioral health ($200M+ facilities), higher education, healthcare, civic, and commercial sectors. The firm demonstrates sustained reputational momentum through recurring AIA Design Excellence awards, an Elevator World Project of the Year (2016 and 2021), a WNY AIA Firm Award (2016), and an Autodesk AEC Excellence in BIM recognition (2020).

Name

Architectural Resources

Legal name

Architectural Resources

Website

https://archres.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Architectural Resources is a 70+ person Buffalo-based architecture and planning firm specializing in behavioral health, healthcare, higher education, and civic projects. It serves New York State government, SUNY campuses, and institutional clients nationally and in Canada using BIM-integrated project delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Behavioral health architecture
• Building information modeling
• Higher education planning
• Vertical transportation engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture and interior design fees for project-based engagements across behavioral health, healthcare, higher education, civic, commercial, and residential sectors. Revenue generated through design fees, project management, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Architectural Resources is a 70+ person architecture and planning firm delivering professional architecture, interior design, master planning, and specialized vertical transportation engineering services. The firm organizes its practice around sector areas including behavioral health, healthcare, higher education, civic, commercial, and residential projects, with integrated Virtual Design & Construction (BIM/VDC) capabilities supporting design coordination, clash detection, laser scanning, digital twins, and 4D documentation. Revenue is generated through design fees, project management, and construction administration on project-based engagements with institutional clients.

Product overview

Architectural Resources is an award-winning, 70+ person architecture and planning firm established in 1991 with offices in Buffalo, NY and New York City. The firm offers a comprehensive portfolio of architecture and planning services organized into distinct practice areas: Behavioral Health Architecture (specializing in treatment facilities for supportive needs populations), Virtual Design + Construction (leveraging BIM technology for design and construction coordination), Higher Education Architecture, Healthcare Architecture, Civic Architecture, Commercial Architecture, Planning Services, Residential Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainability Services, and Vertical Transportation Engineering. The firm integrates Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a core design tool and emphasizes sustainable, evidence-based design approaches across all practice areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Architecture Planning and design of treatment facilities for individuals recovering from mental illness, including inpatient treatment facilities, community-based housing, day treatment facilities, outpatient clinics, and campus support facilities. Engagements cover code compliance and safety improvement projects for state behavioral health authorities and forensic facilities.
• Virtual Design + Construction (VDC / BIM Services) Technology-driven design and construction services including Building Information Modeling (BIM), clash coordination, laser scanning, 360° photogrammetry, digital twins, and 4D documentation. Delivered to design teams, construction teams, and facility management groups to coordinate projects and reduce risk.
• Higher Education Architecture Design of learning environments for colleges and universities, including campus master planning, new academic buildings, student unions, welcome centers, libraries, and performing arts facilities. Primarily serves public higher education systems such as SUNY.
• Civic Architecture Design of public and community spaces including government facilities, public works, urban corridors, and community centers that serve citizens and promote development.
• Healthcare Architecture Design of innovative healthcare environments including acute care facilities, medical offices, outpatient clinics, and elevator modernization for medical campuses, with focus on precision and patient outcomes.
• Commercial Architecture Design and design/build services for commercial, residential, and corporate spaces including office buildings, retail environments, mixed-use developments, and adaptive reuse of historic industrial properties.
• Planning Services Masterplanning, space programming, campus assessment, feasibility studies, and capital program management for educational, healing, and civic spaces.
• Residential Architecture Design of residential spaces including multi-family housing, adaptive reuse to residential, and custom residential designs.
• Interior Design Interior design services for commercial, residential, and corporate spaces focused on creating authentic, memorable, and efficient environments.
• Sustainability Services Sustainable design, deep energy retrofit, LEED certification consulting, and regenerative design strategies for high-performance buildings.
• Vertical Transportation Engineering Specialized elevator, escalator, and lift design services including modernization, new installations, and historic preservation, drawing on over 40 years of technical expertise across all types of vertical transportation.

Quantifiable outcome

• SUNY Oneonta Welcome Center resulted in 7% increase in campus visitors, 18.2% increase in total applications, and decrease in freshmen acceptance rate from 59% to 51%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Krog GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Krog Group on the $600,000 sf Trico Complex redevelopment, transforming the historic 1920s industrial complex into mixed-use destination with 242 loft apartments and commercial space on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus edge.
• The Verve PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with The Verve Partnership on UB Incubator @ Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences project, facilitating collaboration between University and industry leaders in technology and life-science startups.
• GenslerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Gensler on the adaptive reuse of the historic Larkin District U-Building (constructed 1893), transforming the former industrial space into innovative corporate office complex.
• PDR|PcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with PDR|P on SUNY Oneonta Welcome Center, engaging school culture and tradition to develop appropriate and inspiring design at the northernmost point of the academic mall.
• Mott McDonaldminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCompleted North Union Street Complete Street project in collaboration with Mott McDonald, developing cohesive design for linear corridor in Olean, NY with storm water management and greening.
• C&S CompaniesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCompleted East Canal public space project in collaboration with C&S Companies, extending Canalside district with multi-arched fountain and water features celebrating Buffalo's industrial past.
• Watts Architecture and EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoint engagement with Watts Architecture and Engineering for SUNY Upstate Medical elevator modernization, providing design, bid, and construction administration services for various elevator groups throughout the medical campus.
• Studio MLAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Studio MLA on SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center, creating play-centered learning environment with natural outdoor rain garden, climbing wall, and quiet readers' nooks.
• Rigidized MetalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom waving metal ceiling designed in collaboration with local manufacturer Rigidized Metals for Buffalo Niagara Partnership office suite entry focal point.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec Architecture: Global design firm with North American architecture practice focused on healthcare, education, and community buildings—operates in adjacent verticals at substantially larger scale.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with major healthcare and higher education practices and deep BIM capability—operates in the same sectors but at significantly larger scale across many geographies.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with major higher education, healthcare, and commercial practices—confirmed peer through documented Larkin District U-Building partnership; competes on commercial and higher-ed while serving as occasional co-design partner.
• NBBJ: Major healthcare and higher education architecture practice with strong academic medical center presence—competes for similar institutional clients with broader geographic reach.
• HDR: Large engineering-led A&E firm with one of the largest healthcare architecture practices in North America—competes directly for hospital, psychiatric, and academic medical center engagements.
• HOK: Large global A&E firm with substantial healthcare, education, and civic practices—competes for similar institutional clients but offers broader service portfolio and international reach.
• HKS: Large architecture firm renowned for healthcare design (including behavioral health and academic medical centers)—directly comparable on healthcare specialty but at materially greater scale.

Direct peers

• SmithGroup: Mid-large integrated design firm with significant higher education and healthcare practices—comparable on multi-vertical mix (education, healthcare, civic) and integrated BIM delivery.
• CannonDesign: Buffalo/NYC-headquartered 1,000+ person architecture and engineering firm with a major healthcare and behavioral health design practice—the most directly comparable peer given shared geography, sector mix, and scale-up trajectory.
• EwingCole: Philadelphia-based architecture firm of comparable scale with a nationally recognized healthcare and higher-ed practice, including complex inpatient and academic medical center work—directly comparable on healthcare specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/archres
• Facebookfacebook.com/archres
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architectural-resources
• Instagraminstagram.com/arch_res

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Architectural Resources